


Sink or Swim

by Erisabesu (ErisabesuFic)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blended family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Fatherhood, Gay Parents, KakaYama Week 2020, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Swimming Pools, Wedding, YMCA, kids grow up, prompt: family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:49:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24355357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErisabesuFic/pseuds/Erisabesu
Summary: “This reminded Tenzou that he hadn’t yet figured out how he was going to date now that he was a single dad — that hurdle seemed far too high at the moment, when his focus was devoted completely to his son, as it should be.”Written for KakaYama Week 2020 Day 6!  ♥
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Yamato | Tenzou
Comments: 12
Kudos: 50





	Sink or Swim

**Author's Note:**

> In this modern AU, Tenzou and Kakashi are in their early thirties when they meet at the YMCA. ♥

**“Sink or Swim”**

♦

At the front counter of the local YMCA, Tenzou signed in for the Saturday morning beginner’s swim class, hitching his gym bag more securely onto his shoulder.

“Ready?” he said, holding out his hand for his son Sai so they wouldn’t get separated in the crowds of other families there that day.

Sai took it and followed him, face blank in his typical expression, but in the last six months Tenzou had learned that the boy’s wide eyes missed very little, even at four years old. Tenzou walked at Sai’s pace into the men’s locker rooms and then through the other doors to the indoor pool. 

There were lots of parents and kids all crowded around the end of the pool that had a roped off area for the class, and Tenzou felt unusually nervous. He couldn’t tell who the instructor was, and wasn’t sure about what to do first. He’d brought everything that had been listed on the sheet that they gave him when he signed up for the lessons, but didn’t quite know what to expect from the experience. All of this — becoming a member of the Y, signing Sai up for activities, being a dad, everything — was still so new.

Tenzou led Sai towards the crowd of other families getting ready for the class, and found a spot on the tiles a safe distance from the edge of the pool to put down their things. He knelt down to pull out their towels. Some of the other parents were busy inflating water wings on their children’s arms, and so Tenzou figured he’d start with that, digging out the orange plastic wings.

“Why don’t you take off your shirt, Sai?” Tenzou directed. “And your new pool shoes, you can take those off for now too. We can put them here in the bag to keep them dry.”

Sai nodded, and did as he was asked. Tenzou sometimes wondered if Sai’s obedience was something he should be concerned about — he’d always heard children could be a handful. But he hoped Sai’s compliance was a sign that he and Sai were doing well with building trust and a strong rapport since the adoption had been finalized. 

It had to be a very confusing time for Sai in many ways, and Tenzou wanted to make his son as happy as he could, while teaching him the important things he needed to know. Like swimming. Their condo was in a community that had a playground and picnic tables for grilling, but one of the best features was the community pool. Every resident had to pass a basic swimming test to be able to use it, including children, and while Tenzou knew he could probably teach Sai on his own, coming to the Y gave them both some opportunities to grow and try new things. He wanted Sai to meet other kids his age, besides the ones in preschool, or in the neighborhood, and this seemed like a good way to accomplish both goals.

Plus, Tenzou thought it wouldn’t hurt to maybe meet some other parents, especially single moms or dads. Sai’s adoption had changed his life too, and finding a good support network would be increasingly important, he had no doubt.

“Okay class! We’ll start in five minutes! Does everyone have their water wings on?”

Tenzou looked up to see a tanned, athletic man with a bushy ponytail and a scar across his nose, standing at the front of the group and taking charge of the area. He had light blue swim trunks, and just the right amount of muscle definition and sexiness to be distracting. 

This reminded Tenzou that he hadn’t yet figured out how he was going to _date_ now that he was a single dad — that hurdle seemed far too high at the moment, when his focus was devoted completely to his son, as it should be.

“Moms and dads — are you ready too?” said the instructor.

Tenzou looked around, and saw the adults taking off their outerwear and flip-flops on cue. He found Sai looking up at him, expectantly, and Tenzou put on a smile, and patted his head. “Okay, class is starting soon. Let’s finish getting you ready, ok kiddo? Then I’ll get ready and we’ll go introduce ourselves to the instructor.”

Sai nodded, and stood patiently, while Tenzou inflated the water wings around the boy’s upper arms. Tenzou asked if they were too tight, and Sai shook his head. Then Tenzou stood up, toed off his pool sandals and stripped off his shirt. He held out his hand for Sai, and led them over to the instructor.

“Hi,” Tenzou said, getting the man’s attention. “We’re new, this is our first class.”

“Excellent!” the teacher grinned. He introduced himself as Iruka, and asked for their names. Tenzou worried Sai would be too shy to talk to an adult he’d never met before, but his son spoke up in a clear voice and held out his little hand. Iruka shook hands with him, and Tenzou’s chest went all over warm.

“There are a couple of other new students in the group, too,” Iruka said to Tenzou. “We usually start out with the kids sitting at the edge, and putting their feet in, to get used to the water and learn to kick. The parents stand in the water in front of them so they can see that it’s safe. I assume you know how to swim?”

“Me? Oh yes, I was on the dive team in high school. Very comfortable in the water.”

“Great!” Iruka touched Tenzou’s arm, and Tenzou nodded, now more than just a little distracted. 

Then Iruka went to talk to some of the other parents before calling the class to order and lining them up along the edge of the pool. The parents all got into the water, which was waist deep, and beckoned to their kids to join them at the edge. 

Sai sat down in front of Tenzou, and put his feet into the water. He didn’t seem scared or anything, and had no trouble taking baths, so Tenzou wasn’t expecting any issues, but it was hard to tell what Sai was really thinking sometimes. 

Iruka had placed Tenzou and Sai at the end beside a dad who was a little bit older, who introduced himself as Shikaku, whose son Shikamaru was sitting on the edge and idly kicking his feet in the water. Turned out it was their first class, too. Shikamaru and Sai looked at each other, but didn’t interact yet — Tenzou smiled, wondering if Sai would make some new friends by the end of the class.

Iruka got the class underway, all the four-year-olds kicking their feet and getting used to the feel of the water, when there was a disruption from the locker room doors. 

“Ha ha ha ha!” Laughed a loud, blonde kid about Sai’s age, running as fast as he could along the side of the pool.

“ _Naruto_!” boomed a man’s deep voice. “Hey, hold it right there — _Sasuke_!”

Everyone had stopped what they were doing and looked over to see a second kid running along the side of the pool, this one with black hair, followed by a tall man with silver hair lunging after them with long strides in his flip flops. Tenzou had enough time to notice the guy’s navy tank top and colorful swim trunks in a Hawaiian print streaking by before another booming voice burst out.

“Stop running this instant!” Iruka shouted so loud the noise reverberated throughout the pool’s high ceiling.

The running boys faltered and then froze, and this allowed the man to scoop them up, one in each arm, their little feet kicking — they knew they were in big trouble.

“And what did I say about being late?” Iruka chastised the man, climbing out of the pool, dripping wet and piping mad.

“Sorry, sorry,” said the man, carrying his charges over towards the class. “Won’t happen again.”

“This is your second warning, Mr. Hatake, class begins on time, and there is no running allowed in the pool area. Naruto? Sasuke? You have been told this before. Do you understand?”

Mr. Hatake set the boys down on their feet, but held onto the back of their t-shirts like they would break free again at any moment. The black haired boy kept his head down, but stood straight in defiance when Iruka leaned over them. The blonde had his cheeks puffed out, fidgeting and trying to twist out of his father’s grip. 

“Answer your teacher, you two,” said Mr. Hatake.

Iruka explained to the boys how dangerous it was to run by the pool, and they nodded and promised not to do it again. Just then Tenzou felt Sai’s hand touch his where it rested on the side of the pool, drawing his attention. Sai curled his fingers around Tenzou’s thumb and held on, and Tenzou came closer so he could pat Sai’s head and reassure him after the interruption. He was reminded that Sai could be very sensitive to any source of conflict, and it made him very happy that Sai reached out to him for comfort.

The class continued, and since Tenzou and Sai were at the end of the line of adults and children, the last available spot in the pool for Mr. Hatake and his kids ended up being right beside them. The man had somehow gotten the boys’ shirts off and their water wings on, and had sat them purposefully on the side of the pool before getting in. Tenzou took in the nude stretch of the man’s lean muscles as he slid into the water to stand next to him, and perked up. Those arms. _Wow_. And the red tattoo on his deltoid was striking.

“Hi,” the man said quickly to Tenzou, then returned to fussing with his kids to get them to sit still and stop shoving each other. 

As Tenzou watched their interactions, he began to suspect that maybe there was a strategy at play here by putting this man and his unruly children at the far end of the class. That teacher probably knew exactly what he was doing. 

“Looks like you’ve got your hands full,” Tenzou smiled.

“Ha!” the man chuckled, shooting him a sly glance. “That’s an understatement.”

Iruka gave instructions for the kids to get into the water and hold onto the side, and practice floating. The parents could help hold their kids’ feet up, or place their hands under their bellies to help them feel secure in the water. If the kids were comfortable, they could let go of the side and try floating on their own, with their parent’s supervision, of course.

On Tenzou’s right, Shikaku and Shikamaru seemed to be doing just fine, calmly proceeding as instructed, although Shikamaru seemed to prefer floating on his back. On Tenzou’s left it was a completely different story — floating was no issue for Naruto and Sasuke, as they gripped the side and promptly started competing by kicking their feet as hard as they could, splashing and sending sprays of water every which way. Mr. Hatake was completely drenched in the process, and Tenzou’s mouth curled in amusement. 

Tenzou was pleased that Sai didn’t seem to mind being in the water, and floated pretty well, despite the ripples from their neighbors knocking into them. He didn’t let go of the side yet, but Tenzou kept his hands close by, ready to help if Sai became distressed. 

In the third phase of the class, if the kids were doing well with floating, the parents were encouraged to hold their kids’ hands and lead them through the water while they floated and kicked. This was the step Sai had the most trouble with, clinging to the side and not wanting to let go. Tenzou encouraged him gently, but didn’t push him too hard. He glanced around and saw that a couple of the other kids were also clutching the concrete edge, a pink haired girl and a cute chubby boy with red cheeks, who didn’t want to venture out, even with their parents right there. 

This wasn’t a problem at all for Mr. Hatake. He had one boy clamped to each hand, and dragged them and swirled them around the water’s surface while they kicked their little feet. The blonde boy, Naruto, giggled loudly, and Sasuke grinned with his whole face, bright, dark eyes shining. 

Tenzou saw that Sai was watching this avidly. He lowered his body in the water, so he and Sai were eye to eye. “Would you like to hold on to me, instead? I can carry you. We’ll go slow. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

Sai thought about this, and then transferred his small hands from the concrete over to Tenzou’s neck, grabbing onto him like a monkey. Tenzou cradled his arm under Sai’s legs to support him, and then slowly, carefully, moved away from the pool’s edge. The water wings pressed awkwardly against his shoulders and neck, but Tenzou figured if Sai felt more comfortable this way at first, there wasn’t any harm. Everyone at their own pace. No need to plunge into the deep end all of a sudden.

“Faster! Faster!” cried Naruto, and Mr. Hatake walked faster through the water, twisting his arms this way and that and making both boys squeal in delight. Tenzou smiled, moving smoothly through the water and keeping a distance from everyone else, so Sai could take everything in. 

Then one of the Hatake boys lost their grip and was flung away from their father, cast adrift in a spin across the big pool toward the deeper end. 

“Sasuke!” Mr. Hatake shouted, and closed the distance in an instant, but then stopped short — Sasuke was perfectly fine. He kicked his feet and pawed his arms in the water and started moving on his own back towards his father and brother. The blonde boy promptly let go of his father and dog paddled in a similar way over to his brother, both of them unbothered by being in the water on their own — or maybe not realizing what they were doing.

Sai’s arms tightened around Tenzou’s neck, and Tenzou gave Sai a little squeeze. “See, they’re okay,” he said. 

He looked over to Mr. Hatake, and saw the man on the verge of tears, so proud of his kids. The man also looked a little afraid, and a little resigned; Tenzou could only imagine what it was like to parent two boys of the same age, when just the one seemed like a monumental undertaking.

“Look at you!” the man said, heading towards his sons. “You’re swimming!”

The boys looked at each other, and then grinned at their dad. 

“Ahhh, I’m going to come get you in a bear hug!” Mr. Hatake grinned, heading towards them in lumbering steps.

Tenzou couldn’t help chuckling, watching as the tall man pretended to be chasing the boys, and they giggled and flailed in the water to get away. 

“No not a bear!” said Naruto, laughing and wiggling in the water.

“Yes, here comes the bear!” said Mr. Hatake, and with no real effort scooped the boy out of the water and squeezed him tight, spinning around. “Bears give great big hugs!”

“Sasuke too!” Naruto giggled, pointing at his brother, and Mr. Hatake headed towards the other boy. 

“Noooooo!” Sasuke yelled, paddling away from his dad, but when he was picked up and squeezed like his brother had been, Tenzou could see a happy smile on his face, which he buried into his father’s neck. 

Shortly after this the lesson concluded, and Tenzou carried Sai out of the water and over to their things. He set him down, and wrapped the boy in a towel and ruffled him dry, then gave him his shoes and shirt while he dried the water wings and put them in the gym bag. Tenzou was kind of curious if there’d be a chance to talk with Mr. Hatake before everyone left. The guy was … unconventional, perhaps, in his parenting, but he seemed like a great dad, and it was clear his boys adored him. Maybe the guy could show him a thing or two. 

Tenzou took his time toweling off, shaking the last of the water out of his hair. When he looked back he caught Mr. Hatake looking at him, and their eyes met, before one of the kids cried out.

“Grandpa!” 

Tenzou looked just in time to see Naruto dashing off towards a very attractive white haired man who had just come out from the locker rooms.

“Naruto!” Iruka shouted again, echoed by Mr. Hatake who boomed, “Naruto, what did I tell you!”

“Ha ha ha ha!” squealed the kid, leaping the last of the way into the older man’s arms. 

Sasuke didn’t run, exactly, but he trotted quickly over to the newcomer and grabbed one of his legs, face pinched in a moue. The man laughed and patted Sasuke affectionately on the head while he set Naruto down on his feet. 

“How was your class?” asked the Grandpa. “Did you make the biggest splashes?”

“We did, we did!” Shouted Naruto, fists in the air. Sasuke nodded, his face smug.

“There’s my best boys!” the man gave them both high-fives.

“ _Daaaaad_ , don’t encourage them,” Mr. Hatake groaned. He glanced over at Tenzou and sighed, pitifully, and Tenzou couldn’t help laughing. Mr. Hatake put his towel around his neck, and came over to Tenzou. 

“Hi. I don’t remember seeing you here before. First class?”

Tenzou smiled, holding out his hand. “Yeah. I’m Tenzou.”

“Kakashi.” They shook hands, gazes lingering. Kakashi turned his attention to Sai. “And who might you be?”

Sai introduced himself and held out his hand, which Kakashi shook, grinning. “You’re a polite little boy, aren’t you.”

Sai inclined his head. “You’re big.”

Kakashi blinked. 

Tenzou gaped. “Sai!”

But Kakashi only chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s true.”

Sai frowned at this, taking Tenzou’s hand. “Tenzou is bigger.”

Kakashi’s brows shot up, and when he looked at Tenzou, Tenzou could feel a flush burning on his skin. Where do kids come up with these statements?

“Oh I don’t know,” Kakashi said, coming right up beside Tenzou. “I think I’m still a little bit taller.” 

He stood very close, using his hand to compare their heights. There was mischief in Kakashi’s expression, and Tenzou couldn’t help chuckling. Then he felt Sai tugging on his hand, and thought maybe it was time to wrap things up and head home.

“Okay Sai, we’ll get ready to go. Can you fold your towel please?”

Sai knelt on the tiles by the gym bag, and began folding his towel.

Kakashi’s jaw dropped. “How… _how_ did you do that?”

Tenzou looked at him. “Do what?”

Kakashi pointed. “You just… asked him to do something… and he’s doing it! Look!”

Tenzou grinned, and glanced over to where Kakashi’s boys were climbing all over their grandpa and creating a ruckus. He shrugged, then caught Kakashi’s eye. “Maybe we can compare notes sometime?”

Kakashi lifted a brow, and gave him a look. “Is that a proposition?” 

“Um!” Tenzou rushed on, unable to curb his full-on blush. “You know, as dads, it’s good to know other dads, and you know, have a network? For support. Yeah.”

“Networking. Sure.” Kakashi grinned, winking. Then he changed his tone, taking Tenzou’s suggestion more seriously. “I take it your, er … situation must be new?”

Tenzou nodded. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” He looked fondly at Sai, who was waiting patiently where he knelt, even if his face seemed grumpy. “I adopted Sai six months ago. Best decision I’ve ever made.”

Kakashi regarded them warmly, then folded his arms and glanced up at the ceiling. “Hmmmmmmmm, well I guess that makes me your Senpai.” 

Tenzou chuckled. “Oh yeah?”

Kakashi jerked his head over to where his sons were hanging from their grandpa’s arms as the older man walked exaggeratedly like a robot and stirred them up. “I adopted those monsters as infants. So I’m way ahead of you on daddy skills.”

Tenzou laughed. “Okay sure, Senpai.”

Kakashi smirked. “And I’m also way ahead of you on networking, and would be glad to introduce you to our play group, if you’re interested. A bunch of us single dads take our kids to the park on Sundays. You and Sai would be welcome to join.”

“Sounds like a perfect match,” Tenzou said, hoping Kakashi would pick up that he, too, was single. From Kakashi’s subtle leer, Tenzou thought maybe he had. 

Tenzou cleared his throat, which suddenly felt very dry. “Which park is it?”

“You know the one by Konoha Public Library?”

Tenzou nodded.

“We usually meet there after lunch, around 2:00pm. Want to join us? Tomorrow?”

“Sounds great,” Tenzou said. He looked at Sai. “What do you think, Sai? Want to go to the park tomorrow?”

Sai didn’t answer right away, and Tenzou’s brow furrowed, unsure what to do about Sai’s shift in mood the last few minutes. Then there were the sounds of an incoming stampede and Naruto and Sasuke came running over, barreling straight for their dad. At the last second Naruto tripped and bumped into Sai, knocking him off balance onto the tiles as the blonde kid went splat head-first. 

Both Tenzou and Kakashi immediately crouched down to see that everyone was okay. Tenzou put a protective hand on Sai’s back, helping him to sit back up, while Kakashi checked Naruto over for bumps. He had a scrape on his knee, but it wasn’t bleeding and didn’t look like it hurt very much.

Naruto got back up to his feet, and then came over to Sai. “Sorry!” The blonde kid said, squatting down and touching Sai’s face gently. “Are you ok?”

Sai’s eyes widened, staring back at the blue eyed boy. “I’m Sai.”

Naruto’s face split in a huge grin. “I’m Naruto!”

Kakashi stood up. “Well, I better get these hellions out of here before Iruka comes to yell at me again.” He looked over his shoulder and around the pool, affecting a scared face.

Tenzou laughed. “We should be on our way, too.” Tenzou put his towel over his shoulder and found his flip flops. “Nice to meet you, Kakashi. See you tomorrow?”

“Looking forward to it.”

Tenzou smirked. “Me too. _Senpai_.”

Kakashi flashed a grin that made Tenzou’s insides tumble with anticipation. Tenzou gathered up the rest of their things, and took Sai by the hand, waving goodbye as they left.

♦

The first outing at the park changed everything. Kakashi introduced Tenzou to the other dads, and Naruto took Sai by the hand and introduced him to all the other kids. Seeing Sai playing on the jungle gym or the merry-go-round with the rest of the play group made Tenzou’s heart swell so big in his chest he thought he might faint. 

The day was pretty much perfect, although there were a couple of incidents. Tenzou and Kakashi had been deep in conversation about their careers which were in similar fields — Tenzou was an architect and Kakashi was an electrical engineer — when all of a sudden Naruto ran up to his dad in tears because Sai had kissed him. Tenzou was _mortified_. Then Sasuke had gone and hit Sai, and there was a bit of a squabble and lots of dads helping to de-escalate things, before Sai kissed Sasuke too, and after that the boys decided they were all friends again and went off to play on the swings.

That was Tenzou’s first panic attack as a new dad with a new group of folks. The second attack came a bit later on when Kakashi casually slipped an arm around Tenzou’s shoulders, and suggested his dad Sakumo could babysit their kids one night next week so they could go out and enjoy some adult company. Tenzou agreed, face flushed and pulse beating in his ears. 

It felt way too soon to have to navigate being a dad and having a date, but he also had a special feeling about Kakashi, and figured it was worth giving it a shot. They’d either sink or swim, but however things played out, they’d still be dads who loved their kids and wanted to do their best at fatherhood.

In the ensuing months, they somehow mastered juggling an adult romance while taking care of three kids with very distinct personalities, making the best use of babysitters and weekend sleepovers to kindle the fire between them and keep it smouldering. Two years later, Tenzou didn’t renew the lease on his condo, and he and Sai moved into Kakashi’s modest house to become one big happy family (more or less) of five humans and eight dogs. 

Sharing a home under the same roof was quite a different experience. It took some finagling to sync their parenting styles, and communication became increasingly more important. It wasn’t easy to integrate households and find common ways of doing things like chores and homework and family time. Kakashi sometimes forgot the after school activity schedule and was late picking up the kids, or he cut corners with packing the kids’ lunches, which could be aggravating. But Kakashi also kept track of all the boys’ favorite books, and read to them every night without fail, making up different voices and sound effects. Tenzou loved sitting with them and listening, then falling asleep beside Kakashi at night, getting to wake up beside Kakashi every morning, and fooling around any chance they could get with three small children in the house. Every day he fell a little bit more in love.

Five years later, Sasuke and Naruto were too big, too independent, and too competitive to share a bedroom any longer, so Tenzou and Kakashi went house hunting. They found a quaint five-bedroom fixer-upper with a bigger yard for the dogs, and a little detached apartment in the back so Sakumo could move in with them and be closer to the grandkids. Grandpa joined them in the morning for breakfast, and was a big help with the kids while Kakashi and Tenzou turned the garage into a workshop for their home remodeling projects and activities. Kakashi updated each section of the house with new electrical wiring, and set them up for better internet service, and Tenzou made new hand-made wooden cabinets for the kitchen, and redid the wooden flooring and accent details both inside and out.

It may have taken a while for the boys to accept each other equally as brothers, and for Sai to bond with Kakashi and for Naruto and Sasuke to accept Tenzou. But when they did, like Naruto taking an interest in Tenzou’s diving skills and wanting to learn, Sai seeking Kakashi’s help with his math and science homework, and Sasuke asking Tenzou to go running with him because he had better stamina than his other dad, Tenzou could feel their little family unit strengthening into something solid that would endure, just as he and Kakashi had both hoped. That kind of happiness was priceless.

Before they knew it, seven more happy years had passed in this cozy, boisterous home. That’s not to say there weren’t any challenges. Both Tenzou and Kakashi encountered parents, or teachers, or coaches, or any number of misguided adults who didn’t think gay men should be able to adopt children and raise them. It was a struggle that would probably never go away, but Tenzou was glad to have Kakashi for a partner, as they were well matched in fighting spirit and combined their strength to weather these tough situations and protect their family. 

Sai came out as gay fairly early on, and both dads worried about the fights and scuffles he got into at first, although their son had honed a wicked punch alongside his athletic brothers, and threw shade as cleverly as Mama Ru, which together became a deadly defense that also won him a certain reputation not to be messed with. 

When all three kids were old enough to drive, and start dating… Tenzou started graying at the temples from the stress, especially when Sai went through his crop top phase, and Naruto and Sasuke competed over who had the most popular date (of any gender) to every school dance. There wasn’t much that could prepare a parent for these milestones, except to trust that he and Kakashi had done all they could to instill strong principles and character, teach them about consent and protection from STD’s, and then trust the kids to do their best.

When the boys graduated high school, Tenzou and Kakashi could finally give up being minivan-driving chauffeurs for their three kids’ activities. No more early morning and afternoon dive team (Naruto) or track practices (Sasuke), or evening art and design classes (Sai), or weekend sports meets and Museum events (all three). These activities had been rewarding, of course, and all three kids had gobs of ribbons, trophies, and awards to show for their talents, which made both their fathers exceedingly proud. 

But now Tenzou and Kakashi were free to settle into a new life as empty-nesters once their sons left for college. Naruto and Sai got into a prestigious liberal arts school as Arts and Education majors, and shared an apartment on campus. They’d always been close, and Tenzou felt better about them looking out for each other while away from home. Sasuke got a sports scholarship to a famous university, staying in the dorms when he wasn’t traveling internationally to different track and field competitions. He had good support from his coaches and teammates, and had a bit of a wanderer in him that served him well as he was never in one place for too long.

Kakashi and Tenzou filled this new phase of their partnership with cruises and trips and getaways, and as much romance and quality time as possible. Tenzou’s home garden flourished, and even won a few awards at the district level. Kakashi was scouted by Tesla to consult on projects with electric cars, meaning he could leave his employer and work from home for near triple the salary. Needless to say Kakashi accepted, ensuring their future together would always be secure through whatever new changes life would bring. 

♦

Tenzou paced in the small preparation room, double-checking his apple-blossom and honeysuckle boutonniere in the mirror to make sure it wasn’t crooked on the lapel of his tuxedo. 

“You look fine, Dad,” said Sai, resplendent in his own tuxedo. “Exceptionally handsome and distinguished.”

“Are you sure?” Tenzou said, feeling unaccountably nervous. He touched the flowers again “I don’t want this to be crooked in the pictures.”

“Here, let me.” Sai quickly fixed the pin so the flowers were more secure, and then took off his father’s glasses. He moved to the satchel on a nearby chair, and retrieved the microfiber cloth that Tenzou always carried. When he was finished, he put the wireframes back onto Tenzou’s head.

Sai stepped back, placing a white-gloved hand under his chin, and tilting his head to appraise him. He smiled. “Yes. Perfect.”

Tenzou’s eyes watered.

“Daaaaaaaad,” Sai gave a soft laugh. “The ceremony hasn’t even started yet.” 

“I know, I know,” Tenzou said, taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes with his cotton gloves. “Who would have thought this day would come?”

“Well, if you think about it, this is always how things would turn out.”

Tenzou chuckled. “I guess you’re right.” He took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready. I can do this.”

Sai took his father’s hands. “I love you, Dad. Thank you for adopting me. I don’t think I say it enough.”

Tenzou’s eyes overflowed. 

“Sorry,” Sai chuckled. “I should have waited ‘till afterwards to get all mushy.” He blinked a few times, and Tenzou saw moisture at the corner of his son’s eyes.

“Don’t be sorry, son,” Tenzou whispered. He pulled Sai in for a hug, although they were both careful not to crush their boutonnieres in the process. “I can’t believe it’s been seven years since you went off to College. You’ve grown so much, and I’m proud of you. I love you more than you can know.”

Sai squeezed him back, and they both enjoyed the emotional moment. Then there was a knock at the door. 

Gai poked his head in, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s time!”

Tenzou and Sai exchanged a fond father-son smile, and then headed out of the preparation room and into the hallway towards the grand ballroom. Gai led them to the events coordinator, Sakura, who directed them into position. When the string quartet began the music to announce the groom, she and Gai opened the doors to the ballroom, where all the guests stood up and faced them with happy smiles. Tenzou and Sai linked arms, and together they walked forward down the aisle.

The wedding venue was filled with flowers and garlands, yet tasteful in presentation. But all Tenzou could see ahead of him was Kakashi. He looked so dashing in his black tuxedo and black-framed glasses, his silvery hair (that was a little more white than silver these days) slicked back and elegant. Tenzou’s eyes watered again, and he hurriedly blinked back the tears. 

Next to Kakashi stood Naruto, whose beaming smile was blinding in its purity and intensity. When Tenzou and Sai finished the procession up to the front where the officiant waited to begin the ceremony, Tenzou gave Sai another hug, and then took his hand and placed it into Naruto’s. Tenzou took his place behind Sai, as Sai and Naruto stood facing each other, hands clasped together.

As the ceremony progressed, Tenzou spent most of it gazing into Kakashi’s eyes. Sai and Naruto spoke their vows, and both dads got choked up and had to use their handkerchiefs to dab at their eyes and noses. It was beautiful. 

Naruto and Sai’s kiss as a newly married couple was sweet and perfect, and everyone in the room cheered. The newlyweds led the small procession back out of the ballroom, and Tenzou and Kakashi followed behind, arms and hands interlocked, and tears streaming down their faces. 

The guests went to the outer courtyard for the reception, while the happy couple and immediate family members stayed behind for pictures. Sasuke and his boyfriend Juugo had a surprise of their own — holding up matching rings on their left hands, and matching quiet smirks to hide their utter happiness.

“You’re engaged? That’s awesome!” Naruto shouted, tackling his brother and Juugo in a double-hug. 

“Congratulations!” said Sai, giving them both heartfelt hugs.

“Congratulations to you too,” Juugo said. “Beautiful ceremony.”

“Juugo just got drafted for the all-stars,” Sasuke told them, tapping Juugo on the chest with his knuckles and beaming with pride. “He’s now the tallest major league pitcher with the best record in the nation. His last game was a no-hitter, a complete shut out.”

Naruto grinned, putting both arms around Sai. “You may not have heard while you were overseas, but Sai just got commissioned by the National Museum of Art to do restoration work on thousand year old scrolls! The first time someone in our generation has been selected!”

Tenzou and Kakashi exchanged a look, and burst out laughing. 

“Congratulations, you two,” Tenzou said, hugging his son and soon to be son-in-law, and then making room for an overjoyed Sakumo, who whooped and spun Sasuke around in a bear hug, then regained his balance with his cane, the one Tenzou had hand-carved for him. 

“Ahem!” cut in Sakura, the photographer Konohamaru at the ready beside her. She clapped her hands twice. “Let’s line up in the ballroom for the photos!”

The pictures, the reception, everything was a blur of happiness and emotion. There were so many friendly faces from over the years: The dads and kids from the play group, colleagues from Tenzou’s architecture firm, Kakashi’s Tesla coworkers, Iruka who was now the Director of the YMCA, some friends they’d met on Pride cruises over the years, and many others whose lives had intersected with Naruto and Sai, and who wanted to be part of their celebration of love.

They dined and ate cake, and Tenzou circled the dance floor with Kakashi, under the twilight and strings of paper lanterns in the venue’s courtyard. He drank some champagne, and must have given his speech at the proper time, although he couldn’t remember anything he said. This didn’t seem to matter, as everyone was happy, and everything was just as it should be. 

Tenzou maybe had had a few too many glasses of champagne — he stepped a little too close to the lighted swimming pool, and flailed and windmilled, reaching for Kakashi who valiantly tried to catch him, but Tenzou fell into the pool and pulled Kakashi in with him. They made a resounding splash. The water was only waist deep, and so they stood immediately, coughing and spluttering and completely drenched. Everyone at the reception laughed, including the band, the guests, and especially their sons.

Tenzou looked at Kakashi, bedraggled like any one of their wet dogs, and then they both laughed, wiping the water from each other’s faces and shaking it from their hair. 

“Your glasses are all wet,” Tenzou chuckled. 

“That’s the least of it,” Kakashi laughed, putting his arms around Tenzou’s back. “Hey, didn’t I first meet you in a pool?”

Tenzou put his arms around Kakashi’s neck. “Yep. Sure did. About twenty-two years ago.”

“Then maybe I’ll do what I wanted to do then,” Kakashi winked. 

“And what’s that?” Tenzou smirked, though he was pretty sure he knew.

Kakashi bent forward and Tenzou met his mouth in a gentle kiss. The crowd erupted in cheers and whistles, which of course encouraged Kakashi to deepen the kiss, tipping Tenzou backward and slipping his tongue into Tenzou’s mouth. Tenzou had never been able to resist Kakashi, even though he thought kissing so intimately in front of Kakashi’s father, their sons, and all the guests was wildly inappropriate. He blushed harder than he’d ever blushed before, but he wound his arms tighter and returned Kakashi’s passion. Eventually the band resumed the music, and the kiss finished with several lingering pecks.

Kakashi brought Tenzou back up to his feet, and then changed their arms to a dance hold so they could make circles right there in the pool. 

“What a happy day, eh Tenzou?” Kakashi said, holding him close. 

Tenzou rested his head on Kakashi’s shoulder, eyes roving the party around them. He caught sight of Sasuke and Juugo holding hands and talking with Naruto and Sai, two sets of rings glinting.

“We’re going to have another wedding to plan,” Tenzou mused.

Kakashi shrugged. “Ehhhh, we’ve been through it once now, so the next time will be easier.”

Tenzou thought about this, and then had a revelation. He stopped, took Kakashi’s head in his hands, and looked deeply into his eyes. “Marry me?”

Kakashi blinked in shock. “What?”

Tenzou grinned. “Marry me!”

Kakashi grabbed his hands and held them to his chest. “Are you serious?”

“Yes!” Tenzou squeezed Kakashi’s hands. “Totally serious! Let’s get married!”

“When?” Kakashi asked.

“Immediately!” Tenzou replied.

“You mean, like right now?” Kakashi said, brow wrinkled. “Seriously?” 

Tenzou tilted his head, considering. The reception was paid for, the venue would handle the cleanup, Naruto and Sai had a limo at the ready to get them on their flight to Buenos Aires, Sasuke had his own place nearby and could look in on Sakumo and the dogs. And if that didn’t work, surely Gai would help out?

Tenzou nodded. “Well, yeah. Now is good. I don’t want to wait — let’s elope! We’ll just catch a plane, go somewhere, find a judge–”

Kakashi sealed his mouth with another long, deep kiss.

Tenzou felt dizzy. “So… you agree?”

“Yes,” Kakashi hugged him fiercely. “A thousand times yes.”

“Okay,” Tenzou said. “We should get out of the pool then, huh.”

Kakashi laughed. “I love you so much.”

“Me too.”

Tenzou took Kakashi’s hand, straightened his wet glasses, and led him to the steps leading out of the pool. A few people around them clapped, for some reason, and Tenzou gave a little bow. Then he and Kakashi took off their wet shoes, clasped hands, and took off running towards the main building.

“No running by the pool!” bellowed someone that sounded a lot like Iruka, but Tenzou didn’t care, holding Kakashi’s strong hand, both of them giggling and ridiculous, running in their wet tuxedos all the way back inside the venue to get their wallets and car keys and maybe a dry pair of pants.

Sink or swim, they were in this together. And luckily, they were both really good swimmers.

—

Ω

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! :D I hope you enjoyed this romantic story of two silly dads, and the beautiful family they raised together. <3333
> 
> Here's my twitter: [@erisabesu3](https://twitter.com/erisabesu3)


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